Floor cleaning apparatus



Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. SMITH FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1960 nhlkllil i INVEN T 0R. flardm fl Sinai/2 BY MM. xe w H77" KS Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. SMITH FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1960 INV EN TOI Q. fldiazz 1?. 1571:0292 BY gdzyw W Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. SMITH 3,054,300

FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 15, 1960 a Sheets-Sheet a United States 3,436 %,308 FLfi-OR CLEANING APPARATUS Aaron H. Smith, Ipswich, Mass, assignor to Signal Manu'r'acturing Co., Salem, Mesa, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 22,035 11 Claims. ((31. 15-322) This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning floors and more especially to an attachment for a vacuum cleaner of the kind shown in my pending applications, Serial No. 790,523, filed February 2, 1959 and Serial No. 8,087, filed February 11, 1960.

In the first of the aforesaid applications there is shown a vacuum cleaner apparatus provided with alternately usable tanks, one for collecting dust and the other for collecting liquid, and in the second of the applications there is shown a squeegee attachment for the vacuum nozzle, whereby the latter may be used to pick up liquid. With the foregoing apparatus it is possible, on the one hand, to perform ordinary vacuum cleaning operations to pick up dust and, on the other hand, by the simple expedient of substituting one tank for another and attaching the squeegee to the suction nozzle to pick up scrub water which has been spread on the floor by means of a mop or sponge or the like.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide an attachment, for the aforesaid apparatus for use in conjunction with the water pick-up tank and the squeegee attachment, to dispense a scrubbing fluid and a detergent, in controlled amounts, on the floor, scrub it over the surface and then suck it up from the floor so as to leave it clean and dry. Other objects are to provide an attachment which may be mounted on and removed from the suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner easily so that the apparatus may be quickly converted to one use or the other and to provide an attachment which is adjustable for the operations of scrubbing and pick-up without changing the inclination of the handle by means of which it is pushed about and hence without inconvenience to the operator.

As herein illustrated, there is a tank having laterally spaced chambers between which there is an opening for receiving the lower part of the intake tube of a vacuum cleaner and at its underside recesses shaped to fit over the top of the vacuum cleaner head. There is suitable clamping means securing the tank to the intake tube and nozzle. A common valve, situated between the chambers, is movable to connect one or the other of the chambers to a common discharge port and there is means for unseating the valve in either position to effect discharge. A scrub shoe is mounted on the underside of the tank and there is means for holding the shoe inclined downwardly at an angle or parallel thereto, according to whether it is to be used for scrubbing or water pick-up. The shoe includes a sponge bounded by rows of bristles fore and aft and when the shoe is lifted the sponge is inclined upwardly with respect to the floor so that only the bristles at the fore side and the squeegee support the apparatus.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the attachment;

FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a vacuum pick-up nozzle;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation broken away in part;

FIG. 3 i a top view;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section showing the scrubbing shoe lowered for scrubbing engagement with the floor;

FIG. 6 is a corresponding view showing the shoe raised at an angle to the floor for water pick-up;

Bfihdfihh Patented Nov. 26, 19(52 FIG. 7 is a bottom view with the shoe swung to a angle with respect to the bottom;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section taken through the tank;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section of the valve;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary section at the rear edge of the shoe showing a fluid discharge port; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary section showing the squeegee attachment.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. la and 11 the lower part of a vacuum cleaning apparatus such as illustrated in my pending applications, wherein there is an intake conduit 1, a pick-up nozzle 2, which is adapted to pick up dust and an attachment 3 for use in picking up liquid, the latter being shown in section in FIG. 11, as being provided with a squeegee blade 4.

The attachment, herein illustrated, is adapted to be mounted on the vacuum nozzle 2 and to be clamped thereto and comprises a substantially rectangular tank it to the underside of which is pivotally connected at scrubbing shoe 14. The tank is divided internally into spaced chambers 16 and 18 (FIG. 8). Between the chambers there is a gap which extends part way from front to back and which is wide enough to accommodate the lower part of the intake pipe 1. The bottom wall of each chamber, at the underside of the tank, has an upwardly disposed recess 22 adapted to fit over the laterally extending ends of the suction nozzle 2, as shown in F165. 5 and 6. At the rear of the gap there is an upwardly and real-wardly inclined, semi-cylindrical bearing surface 24 for engagement with the underside of the intake pipe 1 when the nozzle is lodged in the recesses 22-22. A locking plate 26 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 6) is adapted to be placed across the gap between the chambers at the front side and has at its upper rear edge laterally extending pin 28-28 which are adapted to be engaged with the undersides of shoulders 393il at opposite sides of the gap to hold the rear edge 32 of the plate, which is semi-circular, as shown in FIG. 3, snugly engaged with the top of the intake pipe 1. The forward end of the clamping plate is held in position by the depending latches 34 34 which yieldingly engage pin 36-36 extending inwardly from the sides of the gap.

Each of the chambers has an opening 38 (FIG. 3) in its top wall through which water and/ or cleaning material may be poured and a cover 46 which is adapted to e snapped into it. The chamber 18 extends laterally at its rear end, as shown in section in FIG. 8, and is divided from the chamber 16 by a partition wall 42, in which there is disposed a cylindrical valve casing 44 containing a rotary valve stem 45 (FIG. 9). The valve casing 44 opens at its lower end into a discharge chamber 48 at the bottom, containing a discharge port 5%. The casing 44 has ports 52-52 opening from each chamber into it and the valve stem 46 has an axial groove 54 which, by rotation of the stem, is adapted to be placed in communication with either one of the ports 52. The lower end of the groove 54 opens into the chamber 48. The valve stem 46 is hollow and contains a valve wire 56, the lower end of which has on it a valve head 53, the latter being held against the discharge port Sit by a spring 64 The valve stem 4;; has a knob 62 at its upper end, by means of which it may be rotated to connect one tank or the other to the discharge chamber and the wire 56 has a hook 57 at its upper end by means of which it may be pulled upwardly to raise the valve head from the seat to permit discharge. Since it is desirable to open the valve 58, while pushing the apparatus over the floor, at frequent intervals to allow discharge of cleaning fluid, a bent arm 64 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is hinged to the top of the chamber 16 and has in it an opening with which the book 57 is engaged. The lower end of a flexible cord 66 is connected to the distal end of the arm as and by pulling the cord the valve 58 may be opened without having to stoop over. Conveniently there is a ring 67 at the upper end of the cord to facilitate grasping it.

The scrubbing shoe 14 extends along the underside of the tank at the rear side, being pivotally supported by a pair of arms 66-66 which extend forwardly therefrom (FIGS. 2., and 6) and are pivotally supported at their forward ends on pins 68-.68 fixed between the downwardly extending skirt 69 at the ends of the tank and rearwardly projecting, spaced bosses 7 ll-7t The shoe has a fiat sole plate 72, at the rear edge of which there is an upstanding flange 74, which has at its upper edge, on the inner side, a locking tongue 76 adapted to snap into a groove 78 in the rear wall of the tank .to hold the'shoe elevated as shown in FIG. 6, but which may be disengaged to permit it to be swung downwardly as shown in FIG. 5. The natural elasticity of the flange 74 holds the tongue engaged with the groove. A narrow sponge 81} is fastened to the underside of the sole plate '72. The sponge may be natural or artificial and may be mounted on hinged sections as shown, for example, in Patent No. 3,013,288, granted to Robert I. Lappin, January 3, 1962, to permit folding one half on the other to squeeze it dry. Narrow strips of plastic, having downwardly projecting teeth 32, are fastened to the sole plate along the front and rear edges of the sponge, the teeth corresponding in length to the thickness of the sponge so that their lower extremities are substantially flush with the lower surface of the sponge.

The shoe is designed to be swung downwardly for scrubbing the floor as shown in FIG. 5, and, to this end, a spacer rod 86 is mounted on the upper side of the sole plate in a suitable bracket 84 for movement transversely of the tank. The rod has along it a pair of spaced, upwardly projecting nubs 88--88 which normally occupy openings %96 in the underside of the tank when the shoe is held in its parallel position. The ends of the rod 36 are disposed in guides 90 and 92 and a spring 94, at one end, holds the rod displaced toward the left, as seen in FIG. 7, so that the nubs are opposite the opening. When it is desirable to move the shoe downwardly into scrubbing position the flange 74 is disengaged from the back of the chamber and the shoe is swung downwardly whereupon the rod 86 is moved laterally by means of a rearwardly projecting handle 102 so as to displace the nubs 88-88 relative to the holes 96-%. The handle Hi2 projects rearwardly from the rod through a bracket 104 which contains a notch with V which the handle may be engaged to hold the rod displaced and thus to hold the shoe at a downwardly displaced angle by contact of the nubs with the underside of the chamber. A foot treadle 16-5 provides means for holding or pulling the shoe downwardly when the shoe is released.

,As shown, when the shoe is displaced downwardly, it rests flat on the floor (FIG. 5) and supports the tank above the floor so that the squeegee 4 is raised from the floor. In this position scrubbing may be eifected by moving the apparatus forwardly and rearwardly, resting and rearwardly from the floor and the squeegee has contact with the floor. the sponge with reference to the floor'is sufiicient to prevent it from streaking the floor and the forward line of teeth, together with the squeegee, provide a sufiicient bearing for supporting the apparatus during the water pick-up.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and suction head, of a fluid dispensing tank having, at its underside, a transversely disposed, downwardly open recess, adapted to fit the back of the suction head and, medially of its ends, an upwardly open recess extending rearwardly from the transverse recess and at right angles thereto, adapted to fit the lower side of said intake tube adjacent the suction head, and means for clamping the tank to the head and tube.

intake tube and suction head, of a fluid dispensing tank having, at its underside, a transversely disposed, downwardly open recess, adapted to fit the back of the suction head and, medially of its ends, an upwardly open, upwardly inclined recess extending rearwardly from the transverse recess at right angles thereto, adapted to fit the underside of the intake tube adjacent the head, and a clamping plate adapted to be secured to the tank across the upwardly open recess and to have engagement with the upper side of the tube to fix the tank to the head and tube.

3. The combination with a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and suction head, of a fluid dispensing tank having medially of its ends a forwardly open, substan tially U-shaped recess, the closed end of which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom side to the top side, for receiving the tube adjacent the head,

symmetrically disposed, downwardly open recesses at opposite sides of the U-shaped recess for receiving the head, and a clamping plate adapted to be secured to the tank across the open forward end and top of the U-shaped recess and to have engagement with the tube to fix the tank to the head and tube.

4. The combination with a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and suction head, of a tank having medially of its ends a substantially U-shaped opening extending from 'top to bottom, open at the front and having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rear wall, within which the tube adjacent the head is adapted to be disposed with .the tube bearing against the inclined rear wall, symmetrisolely on the sponge and, during such movement, washing fluid may be dispensed to the floor from either compartment by periodically pulling the cord. The sole plate has a longitudinally extending channel 114) along its rear edge with openings 112 at its ends through which the wash water and/or detergent is discharged behind the sponge directly onto the floor. The' valve, as shown "in FEG. 7, is located substantially vertically above the channel 11%. The bristles 82 at the forward and rear edges of the sponge supplement the scrubbing action of the sponge. After scrubbing has been completed and the dirty water is to be picked up the rod 86 is released so that the nubs 88-88 can enter the holes in the underside of the tank whereupon the shoe is raised into its parallel position (PKG, 6 In this position the sponge is inclined upwardly cally disposed, downwardly open recesses at the opposite sides of said U-shaped opening for receiving the back of the head, and a clamp plate adapted to be secured to the tank across the open forward end and top of said U- shaped recess and to have engagement with the upper side of the tube to fix the tank to the head and tube.

5. An attachment for a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head connected thereto, comprising a multi-chamber tank adapted to be disposed on the head and clamped to the tube, said tank having a substantially U-shaped recess at the front side substantially midway between its ends, the closed end of which provides an upwardly and rearwardly inclined bearing and at the underside of which there are recesses to ac-. V commodate respectively the tube andthe laterally ex tending portions of the suction head, a clamping member for locking the tank to the nozzle and tube, a common port for discharging material to the floor behind the head,

and a valve selectively operable to connect the port to The small angle of inclination of aeeaaoo to be clamped to the tube, said tank having laterally spaced chambers from which floor treating material may alternately be dispensed, a shoe at the underside of the tank, rearwardly of the head mounting components for applying scrubbing action to the floor, and means supporting the shoe on the tank for movement relative thereto in directions to depress it into engagement with the floor and to raise it from engagement with the floor.

7. An attachment for a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head connected thereto, comprising a tank adapted to be disposed on the head and to be clamped to the tube, said tank having laaterally spaced chambers from which floor treating compounds may alternately be dispensed, a shoe mounting scrubbing elements, arms at the ends of the shoe pivotally supporting the shoe on the tankfor movement from a plane in contact with the bottom of the tank to an angular position relative thereto, and means for locking the shoe in either of said positions.

8. An attachment for a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head connected thereto, comprising a tank adapted to be disposed on the head and to be clamped to the tube, said tank having laterally spaced chambers from which scrubbing compound may alternately be dispensed, a shoe mounting scrubbing elements, means supporting the shoe for movement from a position parallel to the bottom of the tank to an angular, downwardly displaced position relative to the bottom to support the sucton head above the floor, a yieldable latch for holding the shoe in its parallel position, said latch being operable to release the shoe to permit it to be moved to said angular position, and a latch bar carrying means disposable between the bottom of the tank and the shoe, when the latter is moved downwardly to said angular position, to hold the shoe at said angular position.

9. An attachment for a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head connected thereto including a squeegee attachment, comprising a tank adapted to be disposed on the head and to be clamped to the tube, said tank having laterally spaced chambers from which the material may alternately be dispensed, a shoe pivotally mounted on the underside of the tank rearwardly of the head, said shoe being movable from a position parallel to the bottom of the tank in which position the apparatus rests on the squeegee to a position at a downwardly inclined angle thereto, in which position the apparatus rests on the shoe with the squeegee elevated, and means for holding the shoe in either position for scrubbing the floor and thereafter sucking up the scrub Water.

10. An attachment for a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head connected thereto, includmg a squeegee attachment, comprising a tank adapted to be disposed on the head and to be clamped to the tube, said tank having laterally spaced chambers from which material may be alternately dispensed, a shoe pivotally mounted on the underside of the tank rearwardly of the head, said shoe mounting a sponge and rows of bristles fore and aft thereof, said shoe being movable from a position parallel to the bottom of the tank in which position the apparatus rests on the squeegee and the front row of bristles with the sponge inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the floor, to a position at a downwardly inclined angle thereto, in which position the apparatus rests on the sponge with the squeegee elevated.

11. The combination with a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube and a suction head including a squeegee blade, of a tank mounted on the head for holding a clean ing fluid, means for clamping the tank to the back of the suction head, means for discharging fluid from the tank, and a scrubber mounted on the tank in a position behind the squeegee blade and parallel thereto, said scrubber being adapted to be disposed in either one of two positions, a first position in which it is adjacent the underside of the tank and a second position in which it is displaced downwardly therefrom, and means for holding the scrubher in either one of the two positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 110,625 Booton Jan. 3, 1871 798,532 Sanders Aug. 29, 1905 1,065,975 Shaw July 1, 1913 2,243,935 Williamson June 3, 1941 2,531,370 Thompson Nov. 21, 1950 2,635,278 Belknap Apr. 21, 1953 2,674,002 White Apr. 6, 1954 2,935,754 Abdo et a1 May 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS S. 30,948 Germany Apr. 5, 1956 (German printed application) 

